


slow dancing in the dark

by keithlovebot



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Marriage, Mutual Pining, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) Season 5, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) Season 5 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:15:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24258004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keithlovebot/pseuds/keithlovebot
Summary: Catra still remembers their first dance, the first time she actually saw Adora in other ways. She still remembers their dance steps and the warmth within Adora's gentle touch — she wasn't always that aggressive. Her touch, somehow, felt like heaven. How could Catra forget?
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 58





	slow dancing in the dark

It was a cold night, but Adora managed to make anywhere seems comfortable. Her presence was hot, and warm, and sweet. Catra would never say that out loud, but she pretty much felt like the sun itself. Catra was at her 'safe and secret spot' — but not that safe, she could see everything happening right before her feet, almost like if she was at a cliff's edge. And it wasn't much of a secret since Adora knew where it was. But it was fine, it was Adora after all. She wasn't the silent kind of a person, so Catra knew she was coming close. 

“You insist in coming here, you could fall, you know?” 

“Don't be such a pain in the ass, Adora. You worry too much.”

Catra closed her eyes and felt that winter wind kissing her face. It was just a day like the others, nothing happened. In the morning, they usually went to trainings sessions. Well, Adora trained, Catra was just playing around most of the time. Yet, she was great; silent and sneaky just like a cat and she defeated Adora so many times she couldn't even count. Sometimes Adora let her because she liked seeing Catra's smile every time she won. In the afternoon, they spent time sharing a bed in their rooms, eating sweets they stole from the kitchen and telling each other jokes they knew by heart. There was times which Catra let Adora touch and play with her hair, it was usually moments of pure silence — sometimes accompanied by Catra's complaints — but Adora made her feel safe. She always did, after all, she promised. 

But it wasn't a normal and repetitive day, and Catra knew once she started hearing Adora murmuring a song lost long ago. Catra thought that even Adora's voice sound right. She sounded like home and Catra could listen to her forever.

“Where did you heard it?” Catra asked and it was clear in her voice she was curious about that. 

“Don't remember, I just know it.”

“I listened to this one before… You know… Before mother took my music box from me.”

“Well, guess I have a surprise for you.” Adora said with her not-so-innocent smile. She only did that when she was planning something diabolical — and yet they put the fault on Catra, but they didn't know Adora's mind was full of perversities. Catra always had the ideas first, but Adora executed them all. It was fun, at least. She came back running with… A music box? 

“Where did you find it?!” Catra screamed with such enthusiasm it was hard for Adora to not smile.

“I have some tricks and maybe I knew where your mother put them.” She put Catra's hair behind her left ear while she was lost in her euphoria. Adora knew how much it meant to her and maybe she broke a few rules to get it back.

“Uh… Thanks, I guess.” Their eyes met and it was… strange. It was like a huge wave of feelings just hit them both very hard. It was like the whole world had stopped and then there was just them. Face to face. Looking at each other with… Longing? They were already near each other so why they needed more? Why Catra felt her heart aching and needing Adora? 

Suddenly they stopped hearing the voices down there, movements was nothing but a blur. They really felt like they were the only ones in the world. And there was this song; it was calming, and sweet, and bright. It was an old piano song but neither had heard like that. It was different and begging to them to come close. Catra wasn't the one to daydream like her best friend, but she surely felt like she was in a fairy tale. Maybe was the feeling of nostalgia since she hadn't heard that song in a while but it didn't sound like that. It didn't sound like love before.

“You remember how to dance?” Adora asked gently. 

“Please, how could I forget with you stepping on my toes every five minutes?” Catra laughed with the memory. She didn't knew there was something Adora was terrible at. Turns out she was a bad dancer.

The blondie made a curtsy and asked her hand — she saw that in the old movies they watched together late at night. Catra looked at her with a confused face but gave her hand anyways. Their bodies got really close and Catra could feel the heat; she only didn't know if it was her body or Adora's. But Adora's fingers were warm in her hand and her waist (or maybe she was too sensitive). And she smelled like flowers, exotic flowers, and honey (or maybe Catra was imagining). What was wrong with that moment? She never noticed Adora's scent or her warm fingers. She never really cared. Why she was starting to notice that sort of things? 

Her feet started to move forward, following Adora's lead. While they're training, usually it was Catra who led them; she let Adora follow her and step on her feet whenever she missed. At any moment, they might fall because, on the other hand, Adora was much more clumsy than Catra. Why has Catra never looked so deeply into Adora's blue eyes? They held so much more secrets and Catra wanted to know all of them. She wanted to dive deep into her eyes and know she was the only one swimming in that blue ocean. She wanted to be the only one reflecting in those eyes and in that moment, she was. 

Adora's eyes were sparkling and she couldn't name that feeling. Was it wrong to want to be with Catra? Was it wrong to ask time to slow down so she could spend more time with her best friend? Best friend didn't sound right. Best friends didn't knew each other's arms. Best friends didn't knew each other's tone. Best friends didn't knew each other's taste. Not like they did. Was it wrong to want to know what she tasted like? When they were little, Adora kissed Catra's cheeks right before they ate strawberry shortcake. She still tasted like strawberry or not?

Adora's fingers were familiar with Catra's stubborn hair, hands and face. She couldn't imagine how it'd be to memorize another face. Probably Catra didn't notice but there were times she spent almost half of the night just looking at Catra's face while she was sleeping. She really was the one to daydream and, as a kid, she started to imagine how it would be like to fall in love. She read old books and they talked about butterflies in your stomach and heart race when you see them. But they never talked about the needing. The longing. The part of them that wished to hold their beloveds in their arms and never let them go. They never talked about wanting someone you know you can have but you can't because it's something new and forbidden. Because it's something unknown. But, honestly? Adora was ready to face consequences, she was ready to go ahead and discover more. 

Adora's eyes were fixed in Catra's. The song was still playing repeatedly but then they stopped. Catra's eyes were focused in Adora's lips, and she knew they could kiss. They were so close and so desperate for each other — even if they wouldn't admit it — but it all ended when the sirens started to echo around the block. It was like reality just punched them in their faces and reminded that they weren't living in a fairy tale. 

♪

Their second dance wasn't so filled with love and new feelings. Catra hated Adora in that moment. She hated the way she walked, the way she talked, the way she smiled, the way it would form an hole in between her eyebrows when she was worried. The way she bite her lips when she was thinking too much. The way she made a cute noise when she was angry. Catra hated all of it. She hated because she couldn't have it anymore. She hated because someone else was having Adora. She didn't like to share, she wanted Adora to herself. Catra was hurt. She was hurting because Adora chose someone else, because Adora chose the world instead of spending the rest of her life with Catra, because she didn't even mattered to Adora as much as she did to her.

And her wraith became her fuel. She couldn't hate Adora, not really, not at all. She always thought it was going to be them against the world but Adora showed she was wrong. Did it count as betrayal?

How could Catra hate her? At first, all she felt was anger. But then all fell right upon her shoulders. Adora used to be her silver lining, her focal point, so she could feel like she had a future. Like she had a place to go. And she lost her. And now she couldn't forgive her.

This time, Catra was the one calling the shots. Adora was dancing according to Catra's steps and doing what her wanted to. Their dance was full of hurt, hatred, sorrow, pain, regret. They weren't those little girls in love from before. It was an cold and dark atmosphere surrounding them but deep down they were still in love. It was a dance full of bad words, bad intentions, bad behaviours. Sad smiles but as much as physical contact they could have. Neither of them would say that they missed each other. Catra would never say she missed Adora's golden hair smelling like chocolate. Adora would never say she missed Catra's laugh. It was a dance full of unsaid things. 

Adora didn't understood at first; why would Catra suddenly hate her? It didn't made sense. But Catra never gave her a chance to explain herself and why she did everything. Why she left. However, Adora could not look into Catra's face without seeing her eyes shining with hatred. It was because of her, wasn't it? She destroyed the only one she ever loved because she was doing the right thing. But Catra wouldn't listen. So they kept dancing the same dance, with same songs, and the same steps for a long long time. 

With time, it started to hurt their feet, it started to make them weak, it started to make them exhausted. It opened their wounds but they have chosen their paths.

It was a dance no lover should have. 

♪

And there was that kiss. That kiss changed everything. Literally, everything. Adora became strong, she healed herself and she saved the whole universe. It was just like Adora always did: she changed everything and everyone she touched. Even Catra. Especially Catra.

No, it was never hate. Deep down, Catra had never been able to hate Adora. Not even a little. Not even a bit. “I love you, I always have” was a very true statement.

When they lips touched it was magic itself, literally and figuratively. Well, Adora was made of magic and Catra could not expect much less than butterflies in her stomach. After all, all those books were true. It was not only butterflies but, for the first time in her whole life, she felt loved. And she loved back. Although she didn't know how to do it right. 

“We can figure it out later”, Adora said while ran her fingers through Catra's hair. She was comfortable next to Adora's chest, and happy. She was damn happy. So much that she purred with Adora's touch. She didn't realized she was touch-starved like that.

“I'm not guaranteeing you that I'm not gonna mess up sometimes”, said Catra with her eyes closed, just listening to Adora's heartbeat like it was the most beautiful sound she heard in forever. 

“We both are going to mess up sometimes. But… you signed for this when you kissed me”, Adora smiled with pure defiance. 

“No! I didn't!”, Adora felt both hands trying to catch her face and she started to laugh. “I thought you were the perfect princess, you are not able to mess up sometimes.” 

“No, I'm not perfect, Catra.”

“Fine. It would be too sappy of me to say otherwise.” Catra got up and went to the balcony. She didn't have time to see stars since Adora left the Horde, it was a lot of thing happening at the same time. She was full of hatred and pain and focused on destroying Adora that she lost track of what was happening around her. She felt her girlfriend cuddling her from behind and smiled. For the first time she was safe and she felt safe. “Haven't you had the curiosity to know when I first fell for you?”

“Been asking myself since we kissed for the first time. But I never thought you'd want to tell me”, said Adora with her face carved in Catra's neck. 

“I'll tell you, but you have to tell me your dirty secrets too.”

“I thought you knew all of them”, Adora said with a smirk. 

“Just some”, she held her girlfriends hand. Then Catra continued, “Remember the first time you defeated me in a battle? I started to like you. I thought you were cute then. Yes, we know each other since we were kids but I have never felt something like that. I didn't knew what was that.”

“Funny because the first time I saw you and thought 'she's pretty' was when you slept right next to me for the first time. Remember when we decided we wanted to make a party and we did? And then we had so much fun and ate so much food that we got exhausted and slept on the same bed? You did first and, you know… you were smiling while you were asleep. And I spent a few minutes looking at you. I guess that's when I realized we weren't really friends”, Adora said while feeling her heart beating faster. If they were standing face to face, probably Catra would be embarrassed and trying to not make eye contact with her. And probably Adora would catch Catra's face in her hands and kiss her. Again, and again, and again.

“I knew I was in love with you when… Remember when you left? Two days before that, you got me my music box back. And we danced. And… I fell in love while we danced.”

“This is actually… surprising. And cute.”

“Come on, Adora! Don't even start! You watched me asleep!” 

Catra and Adora stayed up all night, bringing back some memories and discussing about feelings. Good and bad feelings. But they wanted to keep it all open, and they deserved after all. 

♪

“Just let me brush it!”, Glimmer said while trying to catch Catra with a brush in her hands.

“No! Don't let her touch me!”, she said while running towards Adora and using her as a shield. Adora was laughing at her. “She's gonna torture me!”

“Do you always have to be this dramatic?”, Glimmer pouted and closed her arms next to her chest. Adora looked over her shoulder to see Catra provoking with her tongue out. Her wife was such a baby sometimes. Bow entered the room announcing they were late and Scorpia would kill them all. 

“You coming?” Catra asked while giving her hand. “You shouldn't waste that beautiful dress or keep it to yourself. It's been thirty minutes you're here.”

“I'm not keeping it to myself. I was just… thinking.” Adora said and looked away. 

“About?”

“Everything. Us. How we became this”. Catra made a expression that clearly said what the hell are you talking about?

“I just… I still can't believe I asked you if you wanted to marry me and you said yes. I still can't believe we're actually married. After what we went through…” Catra hugged Adora in her waist while she intertwined her arms around Catra's neck. She was a little bit taller than Catra right now. 

“Yeah, and what about it?”

“I don't know… I just… I love you”, Adora said and Catra let out a small laugh. She smelled of flowers and honey. Just like the first time they fell in love and they admitted it. Adora had a lot of thoughts inside her head but the only thing she managed to say was 'i love you'. She had a mixture of all those good feelings and they all reflected on how much she loved Catra. She was happy and in love and it felt like was the very first time they saw each other.

“I love you too. Now, come on! I have to put you on display. You look beautiful and everyone should see it”. Yeah, it sounded too sappy when Catra said it.

It was not so different from their first dance. This time, they were in love again. And married. And it certainly came with new feelings. But it was all over again: the butterflies, the smiles, the touch, the feeling of everything around them stopping, the knowledge that they were everything they ever wanted — but this time admitting they wanted each other — and their love. It was always the same but their love didn't changed and they hoped it wouldn't change.

**Author's Note:**

> whatever follow me on twitter it's the same @


End file.
